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4.8 quake jolts Saipan, Tinian
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake occurred near Saipan yesterday at noon and the temblor, which lasted between three to four seconds, was felt on the island as well as on Tinian.
CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management special assistant Marvin K. Seman told Saipan Tribune there were no reports of injuries and damage to property.
Seman said they issued a bulletin announcing that there was no tsunami watch or warning as a result of the earthquake.
“It’s fairly deep underground,” he said, adding that the epicenter was approximately 11 miles south of Saipan.
Seman said the quake’s cause is undetermined.
According to the U.S. Geological Service, the temblor occurred at 12:41pm, with the epicenter at 15 kilometers southwest of the Northern Islands at a depth of 75.70 miles (121.83 km).
A man said he was sitting on a bench on the ground floor of the Marianas Business Plaza Building in Susupe when he felt the building shake. He said he ran outside, but before he could get into the parking area, the shaking had already stopped.
“It was really shaking the building so I ran outside. But the shaking stopped after a few seconds so I went back to my seat, thinking that it was only caused by strong winds,” he said.
